Custom Confusion

[corey suir]

After my recent post about building on a savage action and being advised of some of its short comings i have been doing some research. i have been looking at having a rifle built. i have looked at Mcwhorter, Hill country rifles, borden, Gap and a few others. The only thing that i have gotten out of all my research is a headache. They all cost about the same, use all the same actions and barrels and stocks. what makes one better than the other. how do you pick? i have no experience with any of these companies. i want a rifle that I can use for hunting from a boxstand to hopefully chasing elk in the mountains one day. the only thing that i have figured out is that i want it to be chambered in 300 win. although the 300 prc has caught my eye.

 

[BEEMAN]

Don't know about them all using the same actions. I'd think they would mostly use different actions. Ask around and get references. I haven't had a lot of customs built but will say my experience with RBros and Borden was very good. So those two would be my recommendation. Guns were finished on time and RBros was actually finished two months early.

 

[adam32]

Find a good no name gunsmith...no need for a fancy website and popular name to build a good rifle unless you like overpaying and waiting forever.

 

[corey suir]

the ones that do say which actions they use its always borden, stiller, or another custom remington 700 action. my main point being that they all use extremely high end parts and are all about the same weight.

 

[Orange Dust]

Find a good no name gunsmith...no need for a fancy website and popular name to build a good rifle unless you like overpaying and waiting forever.

I have always used a local guy. He is not only a gunsmith, he also competed in long range shooting all his life. Built really accurate rifles, competitively priced with factory Coopers. Bet there is a guy just like this in your area. Not only are you supporting a local business, you can sit down with the guy and get exactly what you want, and he can help you redecide if you have some bad ideas. Can save you a lot of time,frustration and money.

 

[tuscan]

+1 for RBros and HCR. I have an RBros 7mm rem mag that is awesome. Travis was great to work with and delivered on time. HCR accurized and rebarreled my old Win M70. Both rifles are sub 1/2moa, and stretched my limits. Can't go wrong with either, but if i were doing a custom again, I'd go back to RBros and work with them to build exactly what I want.

 

[corey suir]

Find a good no name gunsmith...no need for a fancy website and popular name to build a good rifle unless you like overpaying and waiting forever.

This is the one custom rifle im going to get. so i want to make sure that it is built right and is going to shoot well. i dont want to spend all this money on a custom action and everything else to have some jack leg smith screw it up

 

[shaughn]

The first thing you can do if you like the appearance of a rifle from X company is research their reputation...wade thru customer reviews on site and generally on the web...get a feel for opinion...call them up and ask a host of questions and ask for literature...customer service...can give you the best handle on a company...friendly receptionist and service reps...are usually a good sign.

What will come with the rifle..warranty ...will be X accurate from factory..recommended loads...follow up service should you have a problem...overall fit and finish..

Research the actions themselves...see if there are shortcomings that will may be an issue with your style of hunting or future style..Barrels...who do they use and can you get what you want for twist profile materials...do they use a weather resistant coatings or standard blueing..

See if you can find a representative piece for sale at a gunshop...used customs do wind up there on occasion

The advice of finding a local...someone you can go and be hands on with...

Asking for feedback here...

 

[corey suir]

the only true local smith that i know builds rifles around the house is hit or miss. he will build one rifle that is just awesome and shoots lights out. the next one he builds wont keep a 3 inch group at 50 yards. thats why i would rather spend the money and have someone who is known to build good guns do it

 

[dmj]

There are a lot of very capable smiths that can build extremely nice rifles. And you are correct most of them price wise seem to be pretty close to the same. I will echo some of the same advise as several above have. Rbros does seem to build a very nice rifle. When you ask about the type of action to use. I'm sure that most of them are pretty good actions, it's more about the smith that puts it together and does one have certain features that you like over some of the others. Again I for one would recommend Rbros. And I am certain that others will recommend others. Do your homework and ensure that the reviews are positive and reflect a great finished product. Good luck and post a picture of what you finally decide on. Along with your comments of your new rifle.

 

[sp6x6]

There are alot of nice rifles for sale in classifieds here

 

[Txhillbilly]

I built two custom action rifles using a Shilen DGR and a ARC Nucleus actions. They are both fantastic rifles,and I spared no expense on them.
I also have 8 rifle's that I built off Savage 10/110 actions. While Savage actions aren't butter smooth out of the box,they can/do get pretty smooth with use.

The extractor is the weak link with the Savage bolt head when it gets worn,but as other's said in your Build? thread,they are simple to replace. Hell,My Shilen action has the same bolt head.

The only feed problems that I've ever encountered were after swapping out magazine boxes on the old Staggered Feed actions that I have. The boxes get bent when you take them out,and put them in. It takes a few minutes to tweak them back into shape,and then they feed just fine.
I've never had any feed issues with the Center Feed actions.

I don't know where guy's get there isn't a big aftermarket selection for a Savage. Sure there are more Trigger's for a Remington 700 style action,but my SSS Competition trigger's are just as good as the TriggerTech triggers I have in my custom actions.
Most of my actions are LH,and if I can find custom stuff for them like stocks/chassis,bolt handles,etc.,finding them for RH actions is just as easy as a Remington 700 style.

My custom rifles may look nicer/prettier than my Savage semi-customs,but they don't shoot any better. They all shoot extremely well,the custom's just cost a hell of a lot more!

 

[COBrad]

I have a custom Allen Precision .270 WSM for sale in the classifieds.

 

[FEENIX]

After my recent post about building on a savage action and being advised of some of its short comings i have been doing some research. i have been looking at having a rifle built. i have looked at Mcwhorter, Hill country rifles, borden, Gap and a few others. The only thing that i have gotten out of all my research is a headache. They all cost about the same, use all the same actions and barrels and stocks. what makes one better than the other. how do you pick? i have no experience with any of these companies. i want a rifle that I can use for hunting from a boxstand to hopefully chasing elk in the mountains one day. the only thing that i have figured out is that i want it to be chambered in 300 win. although the 300 prc has caught my eye.

I am not sure what kind of shortcomings advisement you were provided regarding building on a Savage action but they are the most DIY friendly with with excellent accuracy enhancement design in mind.



A perfect semi-custom/DIY project platform IMHO, it require minimal tooling requirement. Hopefully, it was an objective and informed decision for you to go with full custom build. There are plenty excellent choices to choose from, and yes it can be confusing but not too bad if you set parameters.

First off, a .300 WM is an excellent choice, load it with 215 Berger and you're golden. We all have varying reasons for our build. Budget and intended purpose are the primary drivers for me. On my last full custom build, I went with Bighorn Arms (https://bighornarms.com/) SR2 LA for my .30 LARA. It was personal preference in my part; I like the free floating bolt design and the Remington 700 clone compatibility. In short, I acquired all my choice of components (BHA SR2 LA, 27" Lilja 3G 1:9", Timney CE, XLR element chassis, etc.) in accordance with my budget after working closely with my gunsmith and have him build it when I have all components so there is no excuses for awaiting parts.

You will go through a similar challenge on your choices on barrel (IIWY, I'd have 1:9" or faster), stock, and trigger.

Good luck on your full custom build.